Never So Close, Never So Far

One body. Many faces. Alone in plain sight. Fragmented into thousands of versions, we search in vain for our essence. We are more visible than ever, yet behind our masks we hunger for connection. And each futile attempt digs deeper into our core.

This project is created as part of the support for original work by members of the ensemble.

Abstract

The production presents a cross-section of the work of the Italian choreographer, dancer, and dance film author Gioele Coccia. The work dissolves the boundaries between image and performance. Projections of expressive dance films merge with Gioel Coccia's movements and live music performed by Berardo Di Mattia.

Gioele Coccia is an Italian artist whose work combines contemporary dance, physical theatre, video art, and audiovisual experiments. He works as a dancer, performer, choreographer, and teacher. In recent years he has focused on the intersection of art and social engagement, with a particular emphasis on identity and gender equality. Key works of his in this area include maskiA! and Maschile Ausiliare, a choreographic work exploring the fragility of male identity and the social pressures surrounding it (in collaboration with philosopher Lorenzo Gasparrini). He is the author of dance films that have been screened and awarded at international festivals, as well as music videos for bands such as Brandt Brauer Frick.

He has also collaborated extensively with the Italian ensemble Ritmi Sotterranei and other renowned artists. He is the founder and artistic director of the Mapigo Project, a social innovation initiative based in Tanzania. The project is dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional dance as a powerful means of intercultural dialogue and social transformation. Coccia lives between Rome and Prague, where he performs with the international ensemble Farm in the Cave. He also collaborated with the ensemble’s artistic director Viliam Dočolomanský on the film Ephemera (2021) and the shows Commander (2022), Oscillations (2023) and All Is Good in Heaven (2025).

Performed by: Gioele Coccia, Berardo di Mattia

Duration: 50 minutes

This project is created as part of the support for original work by members of the ensemble.

For Promoters

Farm in the Cave’s standard space requirements for performances are as follows: a space with good acoustics which can also be completely silent during performances; typically we use a black box or site-specific space with minimal dimensions of 10 x 10 meters, with a height of 6 meters; at least 6 months before the performance our technical team of 2-4 persons must make a preparatory visit.

The maximum number of audience members at individual performances varies, but is usually no more than 450.

The number of performers per performance varies between 5 and 13, and the technical – production staff is between 4 and 6 people.

The minimum number of performances presented in one place is 2. The company can play 2 performances per day are available on request – the latest start time is 21:00 local time.

The length of preparation and adaptation depends on the specific performance and local conditions, with a minimum of 1-2 days necessary prior to the day of the first production.

Financial requirements are available upon request at info@farminthecave.com.

The organizers pay for: fees; costs of shipping scenography; personnel transport; local transportation to the performance location; housing; per-diems; costs connected with preparatory technical visit. The organizer agrees to pay for costs of equipment rental if the space to be used does not have the equipment necessary.

Following